3 ms·
Well, except they explicitly call the non-sentient ones female (also stupid, and property), and the sentient ones are both referred to as male.
by Tossrock 9y ago
Well, except they explicitly call the non-sentient ones female (also stupid, and property), and the sentient ones are both referred to as male.
- klipt 9y agoWell that's a semantics issue. Niven might argue that since the egg-producers don't gestate the young they're fulfilling a "male" role of merely producing gametes. But I'd argue that the female role is defined more by producing egg cells than by gestation: female fish produce eggs but don't gestate their young, and we still call them female. Therefore the "male" puppeteers that produce eggs are still truly "female".
- ineptech 9y agoThe sentient ones are famously docile, cowardly and manipulative. I don't think calling them female would've been striking a great blow for progressive literature.